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In recent years, a notable diversification in the geographical representation of the World’s top universities could be observed. Chinese universities play an increasingly prominent role in these rankings, thus indicating that we might be in the midst of a regional shift in academic performance. To explore this dynamics, we analyze seven years’ worth of data used for university rankings by academic subjects from the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). We focus on China, Europe, the USA, and other global regions of the world. We find that China has indeed seen an unprecedented growth in Engineering and Life Sciences research, positioning itself rather firmly as a leader in these fields. Conversely, the USA leads in the Social Sciences, while Europe excels in Geography, Ecology, Public and Business Administration, and Pharmacy. Other regions worldwide stand out in Transportation Science, Nursing, and Hospitality & Tourism Management. These results reveal the evolving landscape of global academic research, highlighting regional strengths and emerging world trends in subject-specific excellence.

Type of the article: Research Article The study analyzes how academic excellence is conceptualized within Kazakhstani universities, focusing on two key internal stakeholder groups: faculty members and administrative staff. While academic excellence has become a global priority, little empirical evidence exists on how it is interpreted in emerging higher education systems. The paper addresses this gap by examining the Kazakhstani case, where government-led excellence initiatives are still in their early stages. A quota-based survey was conducted across 42 universities, producing weighted responses from 832 faculty and 155 administrators. Quantitative data were processed with IBM SPSS Statistics 25, employing descriptive statistics, Welch’s t-test, and two-way ANOVA to compare perceptions between the groups. Despite a broad consensus on the multidimensional nature of academic excellence (positive agreement averaged > 94%), the results reveal consistent differences in their interpretation of core parameters. Of the 32 indicators tested, only four showed no statistically significant difference between faculty and administrators: faculty numbers (p = 0.246), academic reputation and stakeholder recognition (p = 0.701), graduate employability and employer satisfaction (p = 0.106), and student enrollment (p = 0.588). Overall, administrators assigned systematically higher importance to institutional characteristics, enabling components, and barriers across all thematic blocks. Consistent with the conceptual framework integrating institutional and stakeholder perspectives, these patterns indicate that external policy pressures and role-specific responsibilities shape interpretations of excellence. These findings provide a data-driven basis for designing initiatives that couple system-level reforms with participatory governance and co-created metrics, thereby improving the translation of policy into practice. Acknowledgment This research was funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. BR21882373).

Little is known about whether being academically excellent matters when it comes to vulnerability to burnout and occupational health risks indicated by unhealthy patterns of dealing with work-related demand. The present study examined risk and protective factors of (un)healthy work-related coping behaviour and experience patterns assessed by the Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster inventory in 400 university students. A particular focus was given to the role of academic excellence conceptualised as a compound of educational excellence manifested in high academic achievement (operationalised through the grade point average and four other indicators) and personal excellence manifested in prosocial, moral, and self-reflective behaviour (operationalised through three specifically developed items). A multinomial logistic regression was performed to investigate the predictive values of background and excellence-related variables for assignment to distinct patterns. The central finding was a protective role of personal excellence against the resigned risk pattern B, indicating vulnerability to burnout. A similar protective effect had a personally important job, but not a job considered less important/temporal, suggesting that the protective role of the job status is mediated by the psychological value of the job itself rather than by the material benefits of having a job. In contrast, academic achievement or being considered excellent by teachers played no role in protecting individuals against burnout and occupational health risks. From the perspective of predicting a health-promoting approach in dealing with occupational stress, it appears that grades and academic success have little relevance and morality and virtuousness in a student are the most influential factors.

This paper introduces a novel perspective on academic excellence, focusing on a researcher’s consistent ability to produce highly-cited publications, and demonstrates its utility in distinguishing high-achieving scientists compared to traditional scientometric indicators. We formulate this new perspective using a simple yet effective indicator termed the “Academic Midas Touch” (AMT). We then empirically analyze how AMT aligns with or diverges from popular scientometrics such as the H-index, i10-index, and citation counts. We further evaluate AMT’s effectiveness in identifying award-winning scientists, using these awards as a proxy for recognized academic excellence. Our empirical analysis reveals that the AMT offers a distinct measure of academic excellence that does not fully correlate with commonly used scientometrics. Furthermore, AMT favorably compares to these traditional metrics in its ability to accurately identify award-winning scientists. The AMT emphasizes short-term citation accumulation, thus it may overlook long-term dynamics such as “sleeping beauties”. Additionally, mindful parameter tuning and contextual interpretation within a specific discipline or a meaningful cohort of peers are necessary. Finally, the AMT does not seek to fully capture the multidimensional complexities of research excellence such as collaborations, mentoring, and societal impact. The findings suggest that AMT can serve as a valuable complementary tool for evaluating researchers, particularly in contexts such as excellence recognition, award nominations, grant applications, and faculty promotions, providing an under-explored view of a researcher’s consistent ability to produce highly-influential publications. This work introduces a unique conceptualization and measurement of academic excellence, shifting the focus from cumulative impact to the consistent propensity for producing highly-cited publications. The resulting AMT indicator provides a fresh perspective that complements existing scientometrics, offering a more nuanced understanding and recognition of research excellence.

Background & objective: It’s no secret that medical students have access to a plethora of medical literature, which can make it challenging to determine the right sources and how to cover them effectively using various study habits and strategies. Our objective was to determine the association of study habits (time and location), study duration, study strategies, and study sources with academic performance. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted in six Medical Colleges in Peshawar, Pakistan between 13th April 2023 to 13th Jun 2023. Total 138 students were selected for the study. A well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Participants were from both genders and in both public and private sector medical colleges. First-year students and students from medical colleges outside of Peshawar were excluded from the study. SPSS (Version 20.0) was used for data analysis. Results: The study revealed that daily study hours (during normal days), residence status, library study, morning study timings, active recall, MCQS solving, and watching online videos made a significant association with academic performance (P < 0.05). Pearson’s correlation showed a positive and statistically significant association between daily study hours (during normal days), study strategies, and academic performance (p < 0.05). The multiple regression model explained 30.5% of the variance in academic performance. Conclusion: This study established a noteworthy link between academic performance and various factors, including daily study hours, strategies, and specific study sources. Notably, morning study sessions, active recall, MCQs-based strategies, and online video resources showed significant associations with enhanced academic performance. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.11.9502 How to cite this: Osama M, Saeed A, Raza ul Haq M, Baseer MA. Academic excellence: A comprehensive investigation of medical students′ study habits, strategies, and sources in medical colleges of Peshawar, Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(11):2594-2599.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.11.9502 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

University rankings offer some benefits but also come with significant drawbacks. While they can encourage healthy competition, they often lead to unethical practices and prioritize short- term gains over long-term educational purposes. Relying on biased metrics like citations and journal impact factors is a major flaw, potentially misrepresenting the true value of scholarly work. The foremost focus of universities should be on educating proficient students, advancing dependable knowledge, and addressing societal needs. Annual rankings based on one year's criteria and output prove impractical, as research outcomes and educational impact require more time to materialize. It is crucial to consider abandoning or reevaluating ranking systems to prevent biased, financially-driven approaches from causing harm. An internal assessment, gauging satisfaction levels within the university community and the quality of education provided, could offer a more effective approach to ranking universities. Acknowledging the negative impact of journal rankings took decades. It is imperative to avoid subjecting educational systems to similarly detrimental effects from university rankings. The most effective method for ranking universities is through an internal system that takes into account the satisfaction levels of university community members regarding their work conditions and overall institution, as well as whether students are acquiring the education and skills they seek.

This study explores the science research output of the University of Kerala based on data derived from the web of science. By limiting the number of articles published in journals under the science citation index- expanded from 2013 to 2022, the study brings insights into the various patterns of academic publishing in an Indian university. The study also identifies the impact of the university’s academic publishing on its performance in different academic rankings and accreditation processes in India- a total of 1877 journal articles published during this period. The analysis highlights the contributions of the top ten authors, with Anirudhan T.S. leading in citations with 3217 and H-index with 34. The productivity metrics show a fluctuating citation impact over the years, reaching a peak in publications in 2021 with 327 articles. The top 20 journals by research output reveal diverse fields of publication, with significant contributions to journals like the Journal of Molecular Structure and the Journal of Alloys and Compounds. Geoscience Frontiers has the highest average citations per article, at 77.82. Despite the modest number of publications, these articles have significantly enhanced the university’s academic reputation and ranking. The findings suggest the need for strategic measures to boost research output, particularly in the social sciences and humanities departments.

In June 2023, the Supreme Court held that the admissions systems at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Harvard University were racially discriminatory, effectively ending affirmative action. Are race-neutral admissions policies at selective K-12 schools next? Bob Kim considers two circuit court cases — Coalition for TJ v. Fairfax County School Board and Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence v. City of Boston — in which plaintiffs alleged that schools’ race-neutral admissions policies were discriminatory against Asian American students. In both cases, courts found that the cases were not discriminatory. Although how the Supreme Court might rule if it hears these cases is unclear, the bar for finding policies discriminatory is high, requiring not only a desire to increase diversity but also an intent to harm a particular racial group.

Background Nursing students often experience high anxiety and depression because of the demanding nursing curriculum. This mental strain can harm their academic performance. As a result, nurse educators need to assess how anxiety impacts nursing students’ academic achievements. Objectives To evaluate and describe the knowledge of counsellors and nurse educators regarding the impact of anxiety-related conditions on nursing students’ academic excellence in selected nursing education institutions. Method A qualitative descriptive phenomenological design was used to evaluate and describe the perceptions of counsellors and nurse educators about anxiety-related conditions on nursing students’ academic excellence. Participants were purposively selected, and semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data. Four counsellors involved in psychosocial support of nursing students who participated in individual semi-structured interviews, and 20 nurse educators participated in focus group interviews, with 5 participants per group. Data were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analysed using Giorgi’s (2009) four data analysis steps. Results Four themes emerged from data analysis: understanding of anxiety-related conditions, responses to anxiety-related conditions, influences of anxiety-related conditions and support of nursing students with anxiety-related conditions. The findings highlighted the significance of recognising the effects of mental health issues on nursing students. Conclusion The study revealed the factors influencing nursing students’ responses to and the support provided for anxiety-related conditions affecting their academic performance. Contribution The importance of prioritising mental health support for nursing students is to ensure they complete their qualifications on time.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly embedded in national security, defense, and critical infrastructure systems, yet the security of these systems remains insufficiently addressed in traditional cybersecurity education. National initiatives led by the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation have identified the Security of Artificial Intelligence (SecureAI) as a distinct educational priority supported by formal knowledge units and program validation requirements. Concurrently, workforce data and federal reporting reveal persistent shortages of qualified cybersecurity professionals, particularly in defense and government sectors. This paper presents Illinois Institute of Technology as a case study in the design of a SecureAI applied concentration aligned with NSA-style knowledge units and Center of Academic Excellence principles. The paper demonstrates how a four-course SecureAI program, anchored by a shared undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity foundation, addresses emerging AI security risks while strengthening the national cybersecurity workforce pipeline.